The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) broadcasted an exclusive interview with the Taiwanese Representative to Japan Lee I-yang (李逸洋) on Wednesday night. Lee covered Taiwan’s diplomatic strategies with China, Japan, the United States, and more, while expressing his hopes that democratic countries will unite to form a protective “umbrella” of democracy.
Lee first arrived in Tokyo as the representative in September. He said his mission is not only maintaining good relations between Taiwan and Japan, but also comprehensively promoting and strengthening Taiwan-Japan relations.
NHK noted the Chinese military exercises carried out around Taiwan twice since President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) took office. Regarding how Japan has been a part of cross-strait tensions, Lee mentioned that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has visited Taiwan several times, and that Taiwan hopes to cooperate with Japan to maintain peace in the region. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force made its first-ever Taiwan Strait transit with its destroyer JS Sazanami in September this year as well.
Lee emphasized that freedom and democracy have been deeply cultivated for over 30 years in Taiwan, and that the country wishes for a dignified dialogue with China on that premise. He elaborated that maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait requires the joint efforts of other democratic countries in standing up against unilaterally changing the status quo.
Regarding the recent U.S. presidential election, Lee pointed out that Donald Trump supported Taiwan in strengthening its national defense capabilities during his term in office. When confronted with the NHK reporter sharing some people’s doubts that the incoming Trump administration will actually lend a helping hand were there to be a situation in the Taiwan Strait, Lee responded by stating that Taiwan-U.S. relations are stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, so the U.S. will certainly provide sufficient defensive weapons to Taiwan.